Songstone by Lena Goldfinch

Kita can meld song into stone. In a world with no written word, storytelling—the ability to meld (or magically impress) song into stone—is greatly honored. The village honors her master as their medicine man, but Kita knows he’s secretly a sorcerer who practices black magic using drops of her blood. She fears he’ll use her beautiful gift for a killing spell, so she conceals it from him. Each day, his magic tightens around her neck like a rope. His spells blind the villagers, so they can’t see him for what he really is.

Not that anyone would want to help her. She was found in the forest as a baby and would have died if a village girl hadn’t brought her home. But the villagers saw Kita’s unusual coloring and decided she belonged to the mysterious tribe who lives in the forests of the volcano, a people feared for their mystical powers. So they fear her too. Now seventeen, she can barely admit her deepest longing: to know who she really is and where she belongs.

Then Pono, a young journeyman, arrives from the other side of the island. He’s come to fulfill a pact between their villages: to escort a storyteller back to his village–a storyteller who’ll be chosen at the great assembly. Finally, in Pono, Kita sees her one slim chance at freedom and she’ll risk her life to take it.

What I Loved

The voice in this novel is riveting.

I finished the first page and grinned because I had no idea what to think about Kita–it’s always nice to meet a heroine who will keep me on my toes! And Kita certainly did!

From start to finish, Songstone was full of the unexpected. I really like that a lot of the action is fronted by Kita herself; she’s definitely the dynamite in this story.

Yet she never comes across as unrealistic, either. She’s willing to boldly deceive a deceiver (okay, I didn’t approve of that one, although I can see why she did it), but she also has her weak moments (that’s often when Pono would have to step in).

That kind of realism in a fiesty heroine makes for a fun read!

What I Didn’t Like As Much

This is a magic-heavy book, but it never got too dark or squirm-worthy for me. Magic does, however, play a large part in the plot and is an integral part of the storyworld.

Still, it was well done in that I never felt uncomfortable with any occult-ish or demonic overtones (although it certainly wasn’t Cinderella’s-godmother’s-wand-type magic, either).

Although the resolution of the story was slightly unsteady to me, I liked how Lena wrapped things together, albeit loosely. The ending is one I certainly didn’t expect or see coming; yet it’s happy, and left me with a small smile on my face. Kita overcomes her painful circumstances!

I recommend this book to readers who love harrowing journeys and devoted heroines who are willing to take harrowing journeys in order to find out the truth and beat evil.

About the Author

I live in a scenic small town in Massachusetts with my husband, two kids, and a very spoiled Black Lab. I write fiction for young adults, mostly light fantasy with a healthy dose of “sigh-worthy” romance. You can visit me online at www.LenaGoldfinch.com. I love to hear from readers!